Elevators typically use countervailing weights in order to facilitate a passenger cabin moving up and down an elevator shaft in large office buildings, hospitals, factories and similar structures. These types of elevators require a great deal of space, maintenance, equipment and machinery. More recently, a new type of elevator has been developed known as a vacuum elevator system. This elevator uses air pressure to cause the motion of the cabin within a thoroughfare or tubular cylinder that uses the air within it as a working fluid upon the confines of the cabin. Brakes, motors, valves, electronic controls and other equipment work in concert to ensure a safe and pleasant riding experience for each occupant therein.
Modern cabins have an integral carriage that is utilized to stabilize it within the confines of the elevator cylinder. Typically, there are several wheels attached to the carriage. These wheels are associated with or otherwise ride upon a cylinder guide rail integral with the cylinder. However, several problems have arisen with respect to the current state of the art. First, the wheels are hard to adjust making initial setup problematic and time consuming; additionally, due to the aforementioned, routine maintenance is likewise difficult in existing installations. Secondly, the wheels are heavy to port to a job site, to operate as they expend more electrically and to dispose of because of their weight. Finally, the wheels make a great deal of noise and vibration thereby reducing the ride quality therein.
Accordingly, there needs to be some solutions to overcome the aforementioned problems.